Noah jacobsohn



(No Model.)

N. JAGOBSOHN.

UNDERGROUND STREET.

Patented Nov. 22,1881.

ir riiii INVENTOR WITNESSES M/Mb/ ATTORNEYS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

NOAH JAGOBSOHN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

UNDERGROUND STREET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,945, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed April 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH Jaoonsonn, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Underground Streetfof which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the removal of street-sweepings and refuse, garbage, ashes, snow, 810., and to provide an underground road for the vehicles for removing these sweepings, garbage, 850., whereby the streets can be kept clean much more easily and much more economically than heretofore.

The invention consists in an underground road or street occupying a part or the entire width of the street, which road has a roof of grating flush with the ordinary street, through which grating the sweepings, snow, garbage, &c., are swept or dumped into the cars or carts on a track of the underground road, which cars are conveyed to the dumping-grounds or to cremation-furnaces.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is across-sectional viewof my underground Street. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper street on the ordinary level. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underground street. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of my improved underground street. Fig. 5 is aplan view ofanother modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The earth is excavated between the curbs or between the house-fronts to a depth of from seven to ten feet, or more, and piers of masonry A, connected by arches B or columns 0, of brick, stone, or iron, are erected in longitudinal rows for the purpose of supporting beams D, trusses or arches for supporting the pavement E of the upper street. These beams D extend from each curb to a distance of about three or four feet from the longitudinal center line of the street, and their ends are supported by the piers A or the columns 0, as shown in Fig. 1. The middle longitudinal passage, F, thus formed,

which is about from six to eight feet wide, is

provided with a grating-roof, Gr, which is flush with thecnrved line of the top of the pavement E of the upper street. Tracks H H are put down in the longitudinal passage F and in theside passages, J J, or in either only.

Instead of excavating the street throughout its width, as shown in Fig. 1, the central part of the street only can be excavated to a width of from six to eight feet and a height of from seven to ten feet longitudinally throughout the length of the street, as shown in Fig. 4, and the underground road thus formed can also be covered by a grating, G. This road is also provided with tracks. H. The street-car rails K can rest on the grating Gr, as shown.

The underground street is properly graded, paved, and provided with gutters to permit the water to flow off easily.

Theoperationisasfollows: Thestreet-sweepings, ashes, &c., are swept upon the grating G and drop through the interstices of the same into carts or wagons L, resting on the tracks H of the central longitudinal passage, F, or drop to the bottom of this passage, and are then shoveled into the carts. These carts are then conveyed to the dumping-grounds or to a cremation-furnace, as the case may be.

The grating Gr may be provided with trapdoors, through which the garbage, ashes, snow, &c., can be dumped into the carts L.

If the entire width of the street is excavated, as shown in Fig. 1, the tracks of the side passages, J J, can be used for cars or wagons for transporting freight, coals, the mail, 850., which freight, 820., can be delivered to and from the houses through passages M M, communicating with the underground road. The ashes and garbage of the houses can be carried from the cellars or sub-cellars of the houses to the carts L through the passages M.

Telegraph, telephone, and electric light and power wires 0 can be suspended from the beams D, or may be fastened to suitable brackets on the sides of the central passage, F.

It is evident that the street-refuse, snow, 830., can be removed very rapidly by means of the carts of the underground streets, and this can be accomplished with great economy, as

this matter drops into the carts and need not be shoveled into them.

If the entire street is excavated, aconsiderable part of the trafiic can take place on the lower street, whereby the upper street is relieved of the enormous traffic common to the principal thoroughfares of our large cities.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a further modification of my plan. In this case the street is excavated throughout its entire width, and is covered completely with grating or diagonal bars W. On these bars a series of equidistant tracks, X, are arranged throughout the width of the street. These tracks are hollow to adapt them to receive telegraph or telephone wires. The longitudinal side rails, Z, are hollow, and provided with numerous perforations in the upper surface and sides. These rails are connected with the water-mains, and if water is admitted into these hollow rails, it will issue from the perforations in fine streams, and will sprinkle and wash the streets.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In underground streets, the combination of the piers A, connectedby arches B and columns U, the beams D, the pavements E E, and the median grating, G, all arranged as shown and described, to form spaces under the streets, adapted to be used as specified.

2. The combination, with a trench or passage extending lengthwise of a street, for accommodation of a freight-railway, of lateral passages M, through which garbage and other refuse may be conveyed from dwellings on the street and deposited in cars, as specified.

3. In combination with a trench or passage extending lengthwise of the street, for accommodation of a freight railway, the iron grating or plate G, having openings, as specified, and forming the cover of said trench or passage, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

NOAH JACOBSOHN.

Witnesses:

O. N. GUNZ, D. M. HOLDREDGE. 

